The end of the world
by Weretiger Marduk
Summary: After a Bandit kills Sparrow's wife, he journeys to Samarkand to find the one person who can understand his pain:Hammer. But with Jack of Blades returning, can they find the strength in themselves and each other to finish what was started 500 years ago?


Chapter 1: Farewell

Disclaimer: If you recognize it, I don't own it.

The Story thus far... After Lucien was killed and the Spire turned over to Theresa, Sparrow settled down to collect rent from his impressive holdings and become the proprietor of the Rookridge Inn, a task that occupied most of his day. Having moved his wife Alex and daughter Rose into the Inn, they lived quite comfortably, protected from bandits by Sparrow(returned to youth by the powers of Light) and Rose's ever-growing command of Will. It has been five years since the other Heroes had departed for the North.

The first golden rays of the sun crept over the hills, reflecting from the Daichi's pristine blade. Poised in his stance, Sparrow glanced next to him to observe Rose's own stance. Tall and Willowy, she possessed a fair bit of her father's muscle and all of his dexterity in a whipcord-lean frame. Together they flowed through the shifting stances, strikes and counters, their weapons singing through the air as the sunlight reflected this way and that; directed by the blades as though conducting some magical orchestra.

This beautiful and deadly performance lasted only until the sun had fully risen above the horizon and the first weary traveller's began to stir from their beds. The father and daughter turned to each other, saluting with the blades. Sparrow smiled. "Well done, Rose." "Thanks, Dad. How much longer, though? I can't wait to go to the Guild. I wanna be a Hero!"

The mountain of muscle that was Savior to the people of Albion looked at his daughter. His expression became serious. "Rose, a trip into a cave doesn't make you a Hero. You are a Hero because it swims in your blood. " He smiled affectionately and patted his daughter's shoulder. "Being a hero requires a great deal more from you than you realize. The Guild is your history, and your birthright, but your actions will dictate if you are worthy of such a title."

Rose listened carefully to her father's words. He did not speak often, and never loudly, but whenever he spoke she learned something new. Sparrow,for his part, had married a good-natured woman who didn't mind talking for the both of them. Sparrow sheathed his sword, a sign that training was over.

Rose sighed as she trudged towards the inn and her daily chores. Sparrow smiled fondly as he watched his daughter head towards the house. _She's growing up so fast_. _I'm so proud of her. She's already better than I was at that age._ He spared a moment to contemplate the past before heading into the inn to clean himself and begin the day.

That evening, just before sunset, a final few travelers wandered into the inn, cloaked against the evening chill. Alex greeted them with her usual cheery smile. "Hello folks. Welcome to the Rookridge inn. Can I get you anyth-" She was cut short as Rose lept from the second floor, sword in hand. "Bandits! They're chasing some people up from the bridge!" Alex ushered everyone into the inn and grabbed the blunderbuss from under the counter. "Everyone please stay calm. And if you could move back from the doors, that would be wonderful!"

Rose tossed her father his sword and hefted one of her own. "Let's go, Dad!" They ran out of the front door, Alex locking it behind them. "Be careful you two," she called through the door. Sparrow did a quick head count. _Only eight of them, and none of the bigger ones._ Rose let out a battle-cry as she charged the bandits.

Sparrow sighed, pulling a clockwork pistol from his belt. Taking careful aim, he fired three times. Three bandits fell. Having evened the odds, he held back to watch his daughter work.

Rose was poetry in motion. Her movements were like quicksilver, constantly shifting. She leapt into the middle of the remainder, swinging around her with her sword. There was a spray of blood as her sword arced down, only to smoothly swing around again in a counter. Her blade stabbed through one bandit, only to be removed and reversed to block a bullet from another behind her. Sparrow saw the Will build up around her as she blasted toward the gun wielder, cutting him deeply and flinging him away. The last bandit shouted a war-cry and charged her from behind. Without even looking behind her she threw her sword. The bandit gurgled, attempting to pull the offending blade from his throat. He fell, the blade sinking into the earth beneath him.

Father and daughter smiled at each other. Sparrow bowed to his daughter. Rose smiled back and bowed in return. She opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by a scream from the inn.

Rose's eyes widened. " That's Mom!!" Sparrow turned and ran back towards the inn, Rose at his heels.

Slayer chuckled to himself. _Not bad at all. Sparrow and his warrior daughter rush off to fight the threat while me an' my elite boys sneak in as travelers. Worked like a charm._ He held Alex's blunderbuss in his hands, having taken it from her after knocking her over the head from behind. He waved in the direction of his crew. "Someone wake her up, we need them back here now." A bandit poured some water on Alex, jolting her awake. Just as Slayer predicted, she let loose a scream to do any banshee proud. He pointed his men to their places and roughly pulled Alex to her feet. Facing the door, he smiled. "Your turn Sparrow."

The door presented no obstacle to Sparrow's prodigious strength. What brought him up short was the sight of his wife with the gun pointed at her back. He lowered the weapon slowly, resting it on the floor and holding his hands up. The bandit holding Alex smiled. "Nice try, Sparrow. But I know about your magic, I want your hands behind your back." Sparrow complied and the bandit chuckled. "Good. Now, here's what I want from you." He smiled cruelly. "In return for your wife, I want...Your magic."

Sparrow stared at him. "What?" The smile vanished from the bandit's face. "Your magic, what's the secret? I want it." Slayer heard one of his men cough, but he ignored it. "Sparrow shook his head. It's a family trait. I can't just give it to you." Slayer's voice was cold. "Liar. The Samarkand man did it, too. Or is he part of your 'family'?" Sparrow nodded. "He is." Slayer sneered. "Then I guess your bloodline will end here. If I can't have it, no one can!" Slayer pulled the trigger.

"NOOO!!" Sparrow leapt for his wife's killer,lightning in one hand and fire in another. The bandit was blasted through the wall of the inn, trailing flames the whole way. Rose leapt from the third floor, a handful of flesh and bone clenched in her fists. "MOM!!" Sparrow followed the bandit's trail blasting the wall apart to make room for his larger frame. His silent form shook with rage.

Incredibly, Slayer was still breathing. _OhGodOhGodOhGod_ Blinded by the pain he attempted to drag himself away. He stopped when something hard came down on his back, shattering part of his spine and some of his ribs. Sparrow lifted his foot off of the bandit's back. Drawing back his leg, he backed his next kick with a potent burst of force.

Slayer felt the bones crunching as he hit the stone face of the cliff. Spitting teeth and blood, he attempted to speak. "N-N o m-m-more. P-P-Please."

Sparrow looked down at him. The warmth that his family had always associated with him had left his eyes. He silently lifted Slayer by the face in one massive hand. Watching Slayer's last feeble struggles give way to despair, Sparrow slammed the bandit's skull against the cliff face. Slayer made a final choking noise. And Sparrow kept smashing the former bandit's head against the rocks until his hand was empty.


End file.
